Chapter 2: A New World
"Calm down Serena" Albus said slowly.
"Calm Down! Where is the rest of you?" Serena screeched
"Serena I'm fine." Albus sighed. "It's just the way we communicate here, it is called floo powder. It's difficult to explain but it is almost like a telephone but for witches and wizards." he explained
"Oh." was all she could manage
"Now then, To the matter at hand." Dumbledore stated. "Tom was able to fill me in on most of what you told him but there is still bits and pieces he could not remember. So if you don't mind repeating it for me please?"
Serena nodded and proceeded to tell Albus what had happened to her the past few months. The abuse, Astra and her flight when her child's magic had been discovered.
"I see." Dumbledore said when she was finished "and that is your child there?"
"Yes"
"And you wish protection and safety for her?"
"Yes"
"I will accept you coming under my protection but I have one request." Dumbledore stated, and smiled as her eyes widened. "Nothing too terrible my dear, just that you are to allow us to make you the trained witch you should already be."
"I will do what ever you wish of me Dumbledore." Serena said flatly
"Very well." Dumbledore beamed. "On September 1st at 11:00AM, there is a train that leaves Kings Cross for Hogwarts from platform 9 and 3/4. I will send someone to escort you to the train itself and you are to be on it. As soon as you are in the compartment it will be locked to prevent you from roaming and the students from seeing you. When the train arrives at Hogwarts you will stay in your compartment until all of the students have departed. Some one will fetch you and bring you to the castle and they will show you to your rooms and there you will eat sleep and study. You will learn while the students are in bed and you will sleep and all other things while they are in class. This is a safety precaution for you as well as them." Dumbledore explained "I will send you a letter that explains everything in full detail. You will also need a wand and everything on this list." at that a piece of parchment flew out of the fire. " that is all and I will see you on September 1st." Then he was gone.
Serena picked up the parchment just as Tom was entering the room again. She looked down at the paper and read the list thoroughly.
"Where on earth am I going to get all of this" she said aloud.
"Diagon Alley." Tom said flatly
"Come again?"
"Diagon Alley. It's where all wizards and witches get their things." He told her.
"Well, how do I get there?"
"Follow me." he told her. "Lester, watch the counter!" He called to the man sweeping the floor, who grunted in response. "Oh and by the by, I was able to come up with what muggles call a stroller for the baby." He told her as he walked out of the bar.
He had presented her with a stroller just out the door, which she strapped Astra into and proceeded to follow Tom out the back of the pub. She watched as he took out his wand and tapped the third stone from the left. The wall opened to form a door and Serena was facing a market place that she had not known was there.
"Come." Tom said "First things first, you need to change that muggle money to wizard money."
Serena had never heard that word before "Muggle?"
"Yeah, it means non-magic folk." he explained, but Serena was already lost in looking at all of the shops they passed. they came to a stop in front of a massive white building.
"Welcome to Gringotts" Tom said "the only wizarding bank in the world."
"Oh my." Serena gasped
They climbed the steps and went in through the two sets of doors. They walked up to the desk that had a surly looking creature looking down upon them.
"Well." the creature growled
"We want to exchange muggle money for this young woman." Tom explained
"How much?" the creature growled again
"umm...$390 is all I have left." she said
"Very well give me the money and I will exchange it for you."
Serena gave him her money and the creature walked away.
"What on earth is that thing?" she asked
"That's a goblin." he said "Now Serena, you said allot about your dad but not your mom. What was her name?"
"Ashuna Flatenly" she said
"Ashuna?" Tom said surprised "Why I knew Ashuna from her school days. How is she?"
"She died giving birth so I never knew her." she told him sadly.
"Oh Serena, I am so sorry."
When the goblin came back and handed Serena her money Tom turned back to the goblin.
"Sir I need to know if Ashuna Flatenly still has a vault in existence here."
The goblin looked at his books.
"Yes she does. We have received word that she had died and had a daughter. A one Serena Mitchell." the goblin said.
Serena gasped, realizing what Tom meant about knowing her mother in school days. "My mother was a witch? She had a vault here?"
"You are Serena Mitchell?" the goblin asked
"I am" she nodded.
"Then we will need a blood sample to verify and after that is all is well you can withdraw any of the funds contained in the vault." the goblin explained
The goblin snapped his fingers and two more showed at his side. He whispered instructions to them and they came to Serena's side. One asked her to hold out her arm and the other one held a syringe to inject into her arm and withdraw some blood. They placed some cotton on the wound and then left. Not more than five minutes had passed before they came back. They whispered something to the head goblin's ear and he nodded his understanding. Then he turned to Serena.
"The blood has proven that you are Ashuna's daughter. This goblin will take you to your vault."
Serena turned to see another goblin before her.
"Umm... Serena, I will stay here with the baby and you can go. I don't care for their carts." he explained
Serena nodded and followed the goblin. From the moment she had gotten into the cart she knew exactly why Tom had not cared for them. It was traveling at high speeds and flipped from side to side. It kind of made her dizzy. They reached the vault and the goblin opened it. Inside was more money than Serena had ever imagined. She took a handful of each type of coin and added it to her purse the goblin had given her. Then they got back into the cart and went back up. She was greeted by her daughter and Tom. They left the bank and proceeded to do all of her shopping.
She had gotten everything but her wand. Tom took everything back to the leaky cauldron while she went to Olivander's to get her wand.
She opened the door to the tiny shop and entered.
"Be right there." She heard someone call.
"Alright. Now, what can I help you with?" said a little man. He stopped dead in his tracks "Well! If it isn't Serena Mitchell! I had begun to think that I would never see you here, child."
"Hello, sir." Serena blushed "How do you know my name?"
"I get a list of each child that is to enroll in school. Yours was on one but you never showed. I knew your mother Ashuna and I knew she was pregnant with you. You look just like her. So I knew it was you."
"Oh." was all she could muster
"Now, I assume you are here to finally get a wand, yes?"
"Yes sir. Headmaster Dumbledore is letting me do my training at Hogwarts by night so I can protect my self and my baby girl." She explained
"Ah. Good man that Dumbledore. Very well, let's get you matched up."
He took some measurements and then proceeded to pull out wands. She tried at least twenty wands before one chose her.
"Well my dear, this is the perfect wand for you. A cherry oak wand with a unicorn hair, nine inches long." he said happily "Take good care of it. That will be 11 galleons please."
She paid and thanked him as she left his shop. She made her way to the Leaky cauldron.
The rest of her time seemed to fly by until it was the night before September first. She went to the parlor where Tom had dinner waiting. "Well Serena, it has been a pleasure to meet you and your baby. I hope you have a good trip. Dumbledore is sending a car for you at 7:00 AM for the trip to Kings Cross Station in the morning. I'm to remind you that he wants you there early so no one can see you enter the train or leave it. As he explained, this is a safety precaution for you and the students." Tom explained "I hope you enjoy your time at Hogwarts. I won't be able to see you off in the morning so I will say my goodbyes here." and with that Tom bowed and closed the door behind him.
Serena was so nervous that she did not sleep a wink. She moved her trunk and her belongings down by the door and went back up to get Astra into her car seat, by the time she was done and had come back down the driver was knocking on the door. Serena opened the door and the driver asked her name. When she confirmed who she was, he proceeded to place all of her belongings in the trunk of the car as she buckled Astra into the back seat. She climbed into the seat beside her daughter and tried not to pay attention to the fact that they moved so flawlessly through the streets. It was like this car didn't need to obey the law of ethics. When they got to Kings Cross, the driver led her to the platform area and pushed her cart forward.
"Follow me" he said and disappeared
She did exactly as he said and went right through the barrier. She was facing a bright red engine that read
HOGWARTS EXPRESS
The driver loaded all of her belongings into the compartment at the front of the train and told her that this was where she was to sit. She got into the compartment, hearing the door lock as soon as it had been closed and buckled Astra in to her seat. Then she sat back on the seat next to her daughter and finally fell asleep.
Serena awoke to the sounds of Chatter and laughter from the children that were now boarding the train. Every now and then one of them would try the door to her compartment but when it would not budge they left it alone. As the train started to move and the children started to calm down Serena finally began to feel as though her journey was going to com to an end. Around 1:00pm her compartment opened and a little witch came in with a tray of food.
"This is a bit different from what we normally have on this train but Dumbledore thought it best to give you real food rather then the sweets that we normally give the kids." The witch said as she sat down the tray. When I leave I will once again lock the compartment door If you need me just call on the intercom."
"Thank you." Serena said meekly.
"You're welcome dear." And with that the witch left, locking the compartment door behind her.
Severus groaned inwardly as he made his way down the front steps of the school.
'Why is that miserable fool sending me to fetch this student rather than that oaf of a grounds keeper that normally rounds up the first years?' He moaned inwardly.
It seemed to him that Dumbledore was looking to see he could test whether his appointed potions master was truly on his side by constantly testing Severus's loyalty.
'But to send me after this girl is a preposterous test!' he growled in thought. 'What could the headmaster gage by sending me on this fool errand!'
Severus curbed his irritation as he came upon the train and boarded it, unlocking the compartment he knew held the unique student inside.
The sky had gradually gone dark and as the train began to slow it had begun to rain
Great. Serena thought. And I don't have an Umbrella.
The train came to a stop and she could hear the children clamor off the train. Shortly after they had departed the train she heard wagons depart and a moment later heard someone enter the train. This person stopped before her compartment. The door opened and before her stood a tall man with black hair and a crooked nose that looked as though it may have been broken at some point.
"Serena Mitchell?" He croaked.
"Yes?"
"I am professor Severus Snape. I have been sent by Dumbledore to fetch you."
"Oh. Yes but my things?"
"They will be taken to the castle separately." He curtly explained "Now, if you will follow me."
Serena picked up her baby's car seat. Snape had obviously not noticed the baby until now because he had a very surprised look on his face.
"What may I ask is that?"
"Surely you know what a baby is Professor?" Serena said sweetly.
"Oh, yes, well of course I do!" He growled. "I was not informed and it just surprised me."
Serena chuckled, earning a disdainful look from the man. "That's alright but do you have an umbrella to keep the baby dry?"
"Umbrella? Oh, yes, of course, a muggle artifact. Well no need." And with a flick of his wand he said "That charm should keep her dry. I assume it is a girl?"
"Yes, her name is Astra."
"Yes, well, shall we go?"
Snape led Serena into the wagon and as soon as they were in Serena turned to Snape.
"How does it move without horses?"
"Magic" was all he said.
Serena rolled her eyes but stayed silent.
They rode in silence for a while before Snape turned to her.
"I know that this is none of my business but, why are you here?"
"Well," Serena began to explain "my ex-boyfriend, Astra's father had found out that my daughter had magic and tried to attack her. Then, he found out rather nastily that I too had magic though as untrained as it was."
Snape couldn't help but notice the satisfaction in her voice when she said that last part.
"Ah, I see." Snape said "and Albus?"
"He came to me when I was a child. Since my family had vowed that I should never attend a school for magic Albus had little choice but to leave me there, but he told me that if I ever needed him to contact him. So I figured that this would be safest place for me and my baby. Dumbledore agreed but his stipulations was that I was to learn how to train my magic while I stayed here."
Snape nodded with understanding.
They continued the ride in silence and when they got to the castle, he showed her to her rooms.
"This is where I leave you." He said abruptly and closed the door behind him.
She glared at the door with distaste before looking around at her new surroundings and breathed the first sigh of relief since she had attacked Thad. She knew that no matter what happened now, she was safe. She looked at the outer room and noticed that her belongings had been brought up from the train though she was not sure how they had beaten her to her rooms. Before she unpacked she had decided to look at her new rooms. When she got to the bedroom she about died of shock. It was decorated in hues of gold and reds. It had a king sized bed with drapes that surrounded the whole of the bed and pulled back tied to the posts and right beside the bed was a crib of solid oak for Astra. As she did more searching in the room she discovered that they had gotten Astra some baby clothing. It was wizard style but none the less accurate. She had started to tear up as she heard a little voice behind her.
"s'cuse me miss but is there anything Winky can be doing for mistress?"
Serena turned to see a creature that was in a way cute but also quite funny looking too.
"Umm. . .Winky? Is that your name?" She asked clearing her throat.
"Yes, mistress. Winky be my name. Is there anything mistress Serena be's needin?"
"Well, yes there is. I am quite hungry. Could I get some dinner?"
Oh, yes, Ma'am. Winky will be's brining you some food." Winky bowed and with a pop was gone.
Serena came back into the living room and noticed that all of her books and other things had been neatly put away. She was flabbergasted as to how this could be. She shook her head and decided it best not to ask. With a shrug of her shoulders she picked up Astra out of her car seat and began to play with her. She heard a soft pop and knew that Winky had returned.
Mistress. Here's be your dinner." Winky said as she laid the tray on the table.
"Thank you, Winky."
"If You will allow Winky to take baby now so's mistress can eat?"
"Oh? Do you know much about babies,Winky?
Winky nodded. "Yes mistress. Master Dumbledore came and asked all of the house elves if they's be knowing how's to takes cares of babies and since Winky's was the care taker of her old master's son from birth. Master Dumbledore assigned Winky to you for as long as you are here."
"Oh well, I trust Dumbledore. So I will trust you Winky" Serena smiled.
Serena ate dinner as Winky began to change and feed Astra. She was pleased to see how well Winky was with the baby. As soon as she was finished with dinner there was a knock on the door. Winky got up from attending Astra and answered the door. In doorway stood Albus Dumbledore.
"My dearest Serena." Albus smiled holding out his hands.
Serena moved to hug Albus and greet him like an old friend.
"Albus, thank you for everything." Serena said tearing up.
"There, there, child. I am just glad you finally contacted me." He smiled. "I was beginning to worry that you would never contact me."
"Albus, Thad?" She began.
"He's fine. Just got the blunt force of your untrained magic and was knocked unconscious. He awoke shortly after you were on the plane and has a very small inkling of where you are. Well at least he knows that you went to London but after the trail ends he has no true clue about where you are, I made sure to notify the ministry of what has transpired and they made sure to wipe his mind of the magic he had seen so truly has no idea why you left."
Serena felt a pang in her heart at this revelation.
"But don't worry, Serena. It was for the best. You have to protect yourself and your baby." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled "now enough of the bad. Your training will begin tomorrow evening. Each of your teachers will take turns each night to teach you everything that you will need to know to harness you magic. You will study tomorrow night with Professor Snape in the dungeons. The next night will be with McGonagall for Transfiguration and so on. They will all be listed here on this paper for you. I trust you got everything on your list?"
"Yes."
"Good. We will be training you year round even when there are no students here. We want you to finish your training as soon as possible so that you can go out into the real world and take care of you and Astra." With that Dumbledore turned to leave. "Oh and Serena, welcome to Hogwarts and Winky here will get you anything you need." And then he was gone.
Serena noticed that Winky had put Astra to bed and thought it was a good idea and decided to try and go to sleep as well.
Thad slammed his fist into the wall of the terminal as he waited for the boarding call for the plane.
"That bitch!" He growled in frustration. "If she thinks she can just take my daughter to England and I won't follow she has another thing coming!"
At that moment the boarding call came and he pushed past the people in his way to hand the stewardess his ticket. As he waited for the ok to board he heard people complaining of his rudness and he spun around at them, glaring with an evil glint in his eyes as if daring to test his temper. A few cleared their throats but no one said a thing as he turned back to the stewardess.
"All's in order." She smiled as she handed the ticket back.
With a curt nod he grabbed the ticket from her hand and stormed down the ramp, thanking himself silently for making sure to call his connections in the United Kingdom's police department. They had assured him that someone wold be there to meet his plane.
Serena roamed the halls of the school trying to clear her mind. Everything had happened so fast that her head was spinning. She had left Thad and her world behind, or what was meagerly called her world. Was she truly ready for this? She was not too sure. She had not been watching where she was going and ran into something solid.
"Oh..." she gasped in surprise
"What in Circe's name!" the growl came. "What are you doing roaming the halls this late?"
"I couldn't sleep." she replied softly
"Well, don't you think that you should be watching where you are going?"
"Well, yes," she was shocked at how gruff he was being with her "but am I not allowed to roam the halls when the others are asleep?"
Taken aback Severus replied "Well, yes but you should still watch where you are going."
" I will if you will!" she said angrily
For she knew, had he been paying attention to where he was going, he would have seen her in time and they would have never collided
"I don't have time for this!" he growled
"Oh! And I do?" she asked haughtily, hands coming to rest on her hips.
Severus pushed his way passed Serena and stormed off
"Men!" Serena shouted at his retreating back
She tried to return to her thoughts but she had found that her initial thoughts were gone and in there place was Severus. He was arrogant and rude, he didn't seem like he could care if anyone were to fall off the face of the earth let alone her but still her thoughts were turning to him. He was handsome, in a tall, dark and scary way but it was more of what he said to her, or rather what he had not said, that enticed her. His looking at her had made her feel exposed. She could have sworn for a moment a hunger shining in his eyes as he watched her during their heated exchange. He was an absolute mystery to her and that seemed to entice her. She realized then that she wanted to know exactly why he seemed to want to be alone. She realized she wanted to know the enigma that was Severus Snape and she had decided from that moment on to find out everything there was to know about him.
Severus's anger had gotten the best of him. How dare she act like he had deliberately run into her? He just had things on his mind, things that she had no business knowing.
Well, that is not entirely true, is it, Severus? What he could only surmise as his conscience said in his head. Why didn't you tell her that the reason you were roaming the halls without paying attention was that you were thinking about her, eh?
'Oh yes, that would go smashingly well, we've just met for Merlin's sake!' He growled inwardly
'and since when has that ever stopped you!' His voice chided him. 'your head of Slytherin and are afraid to tell a chit how much you like the look of her at first sight? My how soft becoming Dumbledore's little spy has made you.'
"Shut up!" he growled at himself. "I will not tell her and that is final"
He returned to his room and laid his head on his pillow. Preparing himself for a night of little or no sleep.
Severus awoke, or rather just opened his eyes from lying there all night, with a very sour mood indeed. He got up and shook his head of the sleepiness he was feeling. He headed up to the great hall for breakfast. Dumbledore was already there and in his usual cheery mood, which irked Severus to no end. Why did he have to be so bloody fucking cheerful when Severus was so bloody miserable?
"Good morning, Severus." Dumbledore said cheerfully "Late night?"
Severus just growled and nodded
"Well, I hope you are ready to begin teaching Serena tonight"
Oh Merlin! He had forgotten that she would start with him in lessons tonight. Severus stifled a groan. He was hoping to get a bit more prepared to face her. Especially after the run in they had just had. Oh well, it will be a miserable day today. Why not make the night just as miserable?